University of California Pays Sexual Harassment Accuser $1.7 Million

Justin Sullivan / Getty19 Apr 2017

The University of California has settled a sexual harassment lawsuit involving former UC Berkeley law school dean Sujit Choudhry and assistant Tyann Sorrell for a staggering $1.7 million, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Chronicle‘s Nanette Asimov adds that the settlement “may be a record settlement for sexual harassment at UC.” Asimov describes the claims in the suit as that Choudhry “persistently hugged, kissed and touched [Sorrell] during 2014 and 2015, and that the campus did nothing to stop it.”

The settlement comes on the heels of another — and related — sexual harassment scandal at UC Berkeley. Last August, UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks resigned, pending the university finding a replacement, amidst criticism that he had not been tough enough on Choudhry and in other cases.

Asimov provides further details:

The suit shed light on what appeared to be UC Berkeley’s soft treatment of the dean after campus investigators determined, 10 months earlier, that he had sexually harassed Sorrell. As discipline, Choudhry received a temporary dock in pay but was allowed to remain dean of the law school.

At the same time, Sorrell felt unable to continue working for the man who had harassed her and remained out of work for a year and a half. Under the settlement, UC admits no fault.

…

A separate settlement between Sorrell and Choudhry requires that the former dean pay $50,000 to charities that fight sexual harassment and $50,000 to Sorrell’s attorneys.

The settlement also comes as UC Berkeley has been under the spotlight as one of several dozen campuses identified by the outgoing Obama administration as problematic in its handling of sexual harassment.